These books are great to read aloud to a younger reader, and is an especially fun time for grandparents. It’s never too early to start!
Published: 2013 Theme: Give and Take Best for: 5 and up, new readers "Maggie said, "Let's go for a ride, Bramble!" Bramble knew about rides. The rider sat in the saddle. The horse did all the hard work." From the opening line of this little "first chapter book," I loved it. I've been on the lookout for early reader children's books since I began this website, hoping to help the younger struggling readers...
Published: 1996 Theme: Putting Others First Best for: ages 6 to 10 'Now she really did cry, with tears that seemed to burn. The crowds, the lights, the whole mela seemed to be laughing at her as had the nasty fat stall-keeper when he cheated her over the bangle." Rumer Godden skillfully weaves in Bengali words, as well as vivid descriptions of Diwali, the festival of lights, giving the reader a full picture of ....
Published: 2012 Theme: Accepting Change Best for: 8 and up "It's okay," Snow says, lowering her head. "I don't need to marry a prince. I don't mind living with the dwarfs for the rest of my life." "No...that is NOT the way your story goes...." What do you get when a 21st century girl and her sister become entangled with the eternal Snow White? A terrific children's book, with laughs, serious lessons, and a great read for younger children...
Published: 2000 Theme: Heroines Best for: ages 8 and up "Burd Janet threw the green mantle around him to shade him from fairy sight. Then she .. took out the earth from her garden. She spread it around the two of them in a great circle of protection against the Fair Folk." This book is a collection of folk tales where the hero is female. However, this book is for boys as well, since they too need to know that women can be heroes.
Published: 1938 Theme: Dream Big Best for: all ages "Mr. Popper soon found it was not so easy to take a penguin for a stroll. He tied one end of the clothesline to the penguin's fat throat, and the other to his own wrist." Here's a delightful, simple, amusing book with nothing possibly true in it. Purely entertaining, with some sweet morals at the end..
Published: 1998 Theme: Kindness, Moderation Best for: all ages "I've left an important question unanswered. Once Tom walked out of the book, how and why did he come back? The answer to that question is: boredom. It's not much of a life for a character in a book to be out of the book." This is one unique, terrific, silly, and somewhat profound children's book. In Feiffer's hands, everything becomes just a little bit fantastical, out of the ordinary, and we get swept along believing every word of it...
Published: 1994 Theme: Epic Poetry Best for: 5-8 "By the shores of Gitche-Gumee, By the shining Big-Sea-Water, Stood the Wigwam of Nokomis, Daughter of the moon, Nokomis" It is so important for children to read and hear stories that have rhythm, repetition, and unusual words. Hiawatha is a great example of this...
Published: 1968 Theme: Fairy Tales Best for: 5- 8 "The cat sat on the mat. Lots of cats do that, everybody knows. And nothing strange comes of it. But once a cay sat on a mat and something strange did come of it." What a delight to find a contemporary writer who is able to create wonderful fairy tales. For that's what this children's book is: a collection of truly magical fairy tales.
Published: 1971 Theme: Getting along with others Best for: ages 7 and up "When Toft got outside in the darkness he stood and waited on the steps. The sky was a little lighter than the mountains, whose undulating contours rose above Moominvalley." This little book from Finland is a wonder in character studies, and has delightful language.
Published: 2011 Theme: Courtesy Best for: 6 to 9 "King Arthur covered his eyes with his hands. Sometimes in those early days he wondered what it would take to prove to his knights that courtesy was as important as courage." In this series, Morris takes some of the same King Arthur legends, but reworks them for a younger audience. Children could read this book cover to cover, and enjoy both the writing and the message.
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